Qld MP's new roles

Premier Anna Bligh has announced the new Walk a Day In My Shoes program.

AAP

Poll

Which employment would you like to see your local MP take on for a day?

This poll ended on 01 January 2011.

Rail worker

7%

Shop assistant

2%

Police

8%

Labourer

31%

Teacher

8%

Hospital staff

41%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

QUEENSLAND politicians will spend a day living the lives of ordinary workers to better understand the pressures of everyday life.

Premier Anna Bligh announced the new Walk a Day In My Shoes program that will see all 51 Labor MPs visit different workplaces to give them a taste of real life.

It follows a caucus meeting on Monday night at which MPs discussed new ways to listen to and engage with the electorate.

Ms Bligh said all Labor MPs would visit workplaces before Christmas to chat to employees, experience different industries and see the real lives of workers.

"I particularly want to work in those areas where people are perhaps at the lower end of the pay scale to get a better understanding of the pressures on them in their workplaces and at home," she said.

"... There's a lot of people out there in a number of industries that do tough jobs every day and I think myself and my caucus should be out walking in their shoes and connecting better."

She said it had been "a long time" since she worked in manual labour jobs.

"I want to be out there with people who are perhaps caring for people in the community, people who are in manufacturing jobs ... as well as others, perhaps in the tourism industry," she said.

She also accepted a challenge set by Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek to work a day in a corporation affected by the government's planned asset sales.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said she was open to experience work at the railyards in her Ipswich electorate and might also revisit her earlier job of packing shelves at Big W at Booval.

The former vegetarian said she might also visit her local abattoir.

"There are a whole range of jobs that I would be really interested to have a go at," she said.

"... I think it's going to be a tremendous opportunity to go out and spend some time walking in those people's shoes."

Ms Bligh said the program had been designed by unions in the US to give politicians a better understanding of the lives of low-paid workers.

She said she had spoken to unionists about the program but she also wanted smaller, non-unionised workplaces to be involved.

She said the program was a new way of connecting and similar programs to engage with voters would be developed in coming weeks.